Improvement in sewing-machines



Nirrn Sinatra AIFN'I FHBB A. B.. WILSON, ALANSON WARREN, AND Gr. F.WOODRUFF.

lMPRGVEIVlENT HN SEWENG-MACHHNES..

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 9,041, dated une 15,1852 To all whom t may ofi/noem.'

Be it known that I, ALLEN B. WILSON, of Watertown, in the county ofLitchfield and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new anduseful Improvements in Machinery for Sewing; and I do hereby declarethat the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of thisspecification, in Which- Figure 1 is a view in isometrical perspectiveof my im roved machine, which'I term the improve seaming lathe. Fig. 2is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical sectionof the same, taken through the parts which form the stitches. Fi 4 is aView in perspective of the rotating hoo which opens the loops detachedfrom the machine. Fig. 5 isa View in perspective of the bobbin whichcarries the thread which is to be passed through the loops. Fig. 6 is aview in perspective of the feed-bar and appendages detached from themachine.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of theseveral figures.

This machine in certain points resembles that for which Letters Patentofthe United States, bearing date the 12th day of August, 1851, weregranted to me. The main point of difference consists in the employment,in combination with the rotating hook for the purpose of carrying thethread which is to be passed through the loop formed in theneedlethread, of a bobbin which is stationary in the line of its axis,the said bobbin being of such form and being so placed in relation tothe said rotating hook as to cause the said rotating hook to extend theloop and pass it right over the bobbin. This is, in effect, the same asthe bobbin passing and carrying the thread through the loop 4but thereciprocating movement of the bobbin and the mechanism for producing itare dis ensed with.

To enalile those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I willproceed to describe fully its construction and operation.

rllhe working parts of the machine are all attached to or carried by asuitable frame, A A B B, which is secured firmly to a table or bench.The mandrel C, resembling in a certain degree the mandrel of a lathe, isfitted in suitable bearings in the standard A A of the frame, and issuitably turned or provided with a pulley, D, to secure rotary motionthrough a driving-band from a driving-wheel moved by a treadle under thetable, or by any suitable means. At the front end the mandrel isprovided with a plate or portion of a disk, E, (best seen in Fig. 4,)which is concave on its face, and has portions of two threads of a screwformed on its periphery, a portion of the periphery being cut away toform the hook a, which opens the loop in the needle thread. One part ofthe front or outer thread of the screw is chamfered off at b to the backor inner thread, and the notch c or recess between the screw threads ismade to extend back from the hook a about one-third of thecircumference. Within the concavity in the face of the disk E thebobbinF, which carries the'thread to be passed through the needle-thread, isheld by a ring, G, attached to a forked rod, II, which is adjustable ina small standard, I, secured in the frame, the s-aid ring holding thebobbin in its place, but allowing it to turn very freely. The bobbin Fresembles somewhat the bobbins employed in the carriages oflace-machines, that being the form which occupies least spacelongitudinally to its axis. The edges of the two plates of which 1t 1sformed are brought nearly close together, but the plates are bellied outto hold a quantity of thread. One part, d, of the mandrel is turnedeccentrically, and is encircled by a ring, J, to which a rod, K, isattached, which connects to an arm, L, which is secured to the arbor M,

which is fitted in bearings in the standards B B of the frame and formsthe fulcrum of a two-armed lever, one, N, of whose arms is theneedle-arm, and to the other, O, is secured the spindle c, upon which ishung the spool or bobbin P, which carries the thread for supplying theneedle and forminor the loops. By the revolution of the mandrel theeccentric d is caused to give a vibratory movement to the Lever N O.

The cloth or material to be sewed is laid upon a pl-ate, Q, which issecured to the top of the standards A A, and forms a small table. It 1sheld down by a small pressing-plate, f, which is attached to the end ofa curved spring, R, which is secured to the back of the standards B B,and extends over the top of the machine. ln the front end of thepressing-plate f there is a notch, g, cut to allow the needle to passthrough, and an opening corresponding to the notch g is cut through theplate Q for the same purpose.

The needle h, which is attached to the arm N describes an arc whichwould nearly intersect the axis of the mandrel C. The hook a alsorotates in a vertical plane parallel with that in which the needleworks, its point passing as close as possible in front of the needle.The movements of the hook and needle are so regulated that the hookpasses the needle just as it is commencing its ascent.

The cloth receives the necessary movement to enable the needle in itssuccessive descents to perforate it at suitable distances, by means of afeed bar, S, whose form is most intelligible in Fig. 6. It is a straightflat bar with a slot extending nearly its whole length, and with twoears, i. 2'., on its underside. Under the slot is secured a spring bar,lc, which has a sharppointed tooth, Z, at the end. The bar S slides insuitable rabbets or mortises in the standards A A, immediately below theplate The point of the tooth Z is immediately under a small opening inthe plate, but does not pass through until pressure is applied below thespring.

Upon the mandrel C there is a cam, T. (See Fig. 3.) This cam is nearlycylindrical and concentric to the mandrel, but at one point, m, in itsperiphery there is a prominence. This prominence extends also to thefront. By the revolution of the mandrel the prominence on the cam ismade to act on the under side of the spring-bar c and force up the pointof the tooth l at the same time that its front part acts on the back ofthe ears t' t', and moves the feedbar longitudinally forward toward theplane of the needles motion. This movement of the feed-bar while thepoint of the tooth Z is protruding above the surface of the plate Qcauses the tooth to catch the cloth and move-it forward for a newstitch, the bar being returned by the pressure of a spring, n, which issecured to one of the standards on the ears t i after the prominence mon the cam has passed. The tooth being freed from the cloth as soon asthe prominence is clear of the spring-bar prevents its catching on itsreturn.

The length of the stitch is regulated by an eccentric stop, 79, which ispivoted on a pin, q, to the underside of the plate Q. Against this stopthe feed-bar is forced by the spring n. The length of t-he. stitch isgreatest when the least prominent art of the stop is turned toward theend of t e bar, as it allows the bar to go back farthest, and it isshortest when the most prominent part of the stop is opposite the bar.

In preparing to commence operation, the material to be sewed is placedon the top of the plate Q, under the pressing-plate f, and closes up tothe turned-up part of the plate 1,

which serves as a gage to regulate the distance of the seam from the ede of the material. The thread from the bob in P is conducted through thehole n, near the end of the needle arm at the back of the needle, andthence through the eye of the needle, which is made transversely to theplane of its motion. The thread from the bobbin F is passed through aslit between a small spring, and the edge of the plate Q to the openingthrough which the needle passes. In this opening it praias freely. Itsend is passed under a spr1ng,, which secures it. The end of the threadfrom the needle is then held by the attendant and all is ready. Themachine is then set in motion, the mandrel rotating in the directionindicated by the arrow shown in Fig. 1. The descent of the needle-armforces the needle through the material, the needle carrying the threadwith it, the thread lying close tothe needle behind and in front of it.When the needle commences to rise, the point of the rotating hook apasses between the needle and the thread, and as the needle rises a loopis formed in the thread. As the rotation of the hook continues, itextends the loop, and that art of the loop which is on the front side ofthe ook is drawn between the bobbin and the concave face of the disk,that part which is behind the hook passing into the notch or recess c.The loop is extended by the continued rotation of the hook and the nextdescent of the needlearm, until it is wide enough to allow the bobbin Fto pass through it, and on the next descent of the needle is slippedover the chamfered part b of the disk, and causedto be drawn over thefront of the bobbin F, between it and the ring G. Thus it will ybeunderstood that as one side of the loop passes on one side of the bobbinandthe other on the opposite side, the bobbin passes through it, and onits being drawn tight it locks the thread from the bobbin F1 Though theneedlefarm descends, and the needle passes twice through the clot duringthe operation of forming one stitch, it must not be supposed that thetwo movements only form one stitch, as the same operation is performedby every movement of the needle and every revolution of the hook a; butthe second stitch is commenced before the first is finished, theextension of the loop for the second stitch drawing the first looptight.

The operation of the rotating hook and needle continues, as described,until it is desired to stop, or until the thread from either bobbingives out; but prior to or during the early part of every descent of theneedle, thecam T comes into operation on the feed-bar S and spring lc,and moves the cloth the distance required for the next stitch. Thismovement of the cloth causes the bobbin F to unwind and give out enoughthread for the next stitch.

The end of the needle-thread, which has been described as being held bythe attendant may be relinquished by him, and the end of the thread fromthe bobbin F may be released from under the spring t after the firststitch is finished, and the machine will continue its operation.

lln order to prevent the loops as they slip ofi the hook a from escapingtoo quickly, and to roduce a slight drag upon the thread as it is ingtightened, a 1ece of leather, fr, is applied to the ring @E and itsfriction on the thread produces the desired effect. A brakespring, w, isapplied to the bobbin P to produce a proper amount of tension on theneedlethread. This tension is always the same, owing to the bobbin beinghung upon an arm attac ed to and vibrating with the needle-arm whichcauses its osition to bear always the same relation to t at of theneedle.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The combination of the bobbin F for carrying one thread with a rotatinghook which is of such form or forms part of a disk, or its equivalent ofsuch form, as to extend the loop on the other thread, and pass itcompletely over the said bobbin, whereby the two threads are interlacedtogether, the parts being arranged and operating in any waysubstantially as herein set forth.

ALLEN B. WILSON. Witnesses F. HURD, HoLBRooK CURTxs.

